Separation of minerals by flotation.



APPLICATION FILED AUG-1. 1914.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

WITNESSES 7 ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS G. ROWAND, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO NEW JERSEY ZINC-COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

'- SEPARATION OF MINERALS BY FLOIATION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented 0V. 9, 1915.

Application filed August 1, 1914. Serial No. 854,529.

To all whom it may concern: I

lie it known that I, Lnwls G. liowkxn, a citizen of the lnited States,residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Separation ofMinerals by Flotation: and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it a-pp'ertains to make and use thesame.

The present invention relates to the separation of metalliferousvaluesfrom ores, slimes, and the like, wherein the minerals to beseparated are associated with gangue, or other-minerals not susceptibleof selective flotation by the oil, emulsion, or the like,

employed for that purpose.

The characteristic feature of the invention consists in feeding thematerlal to be treated upon a traveling belt or apron or other movingsurface which receives a layer of the separating oil or emulsion bycontact with a suitable source of supply, and which feeds the material,after it has been deposited upon the layer of oil or emulsion carried bythe belt, into a flotation tank, in such manner that it will enter thewater in the tank at the surface thereof; whereupon the particlessusceptible of flotation will be floated off into a collecting trough orlaunder, and the particles not capable of flotation will drop throughthe water-contained in the tankand will be collected separately astailings. In passing down the incline, the mctalliferous particles to beseparated will take on a surface coating of the oil, emulsion, Or thelike, whereas the particles which have no tendency to become coatedremain unaffected; consequently, when the massof material is fed, at asuitably moderate rate upon the surface of the water, the coatedparticles, representing corresponding metalliferous values, will bebuoyed up 'and floated off into the collecting launder Qor heads,whereas the uncoated particles will fall by gravity to the bottom of theflotation tank.

- In the accompanying drawing,Figure 1 represents a crossrsectionalView, partly in elevation, of apparatus adapted for the practice of theinvention; Fig.2 represents a similar fragmentary view on a larger scaleand illustrates generally the mode of operation of the invention.

off valve Z), and the tank has a collectingor conveying trough orlaunder c, which receives the heads as they are floated over'the verge(Z. By means of the hand valve Z) the water or other liquid may besupplied in such volume as to maintain the necessary depth of overflowat the verge (Z, sothat the floating particles will clear the verge inpassing over into the collecting launder.

The moving surface upon wh ch the ore to be separated is received ispreferably, as shown. a belt or apron c, which passes over the rollers7", g,'either one of which may be provided with power to rotate it andthus cause the belt or apron c to move at an appropriate rate, in thedirection indicated by the arrows.

it indicates an idler roll, which may have the two-fold function of abelt tightener and a means for lifting the lower stnand of the belt orapron so that it shall clear the wall 2' of the flotation tank. Y

B indicates a suitable chute for supplying the material to the uppersurface of the top strand of the belt or apron.

Adjacent to the flotation tank is located a receptacle D for the oil,emulsion of oil and acid,,or like liquid having a selective floationeffect upon the metalliferous particles which it is designed to recoveras heads, in the practice of the invention. This receptacle D mayconveniently be built in' lVhatever the liquid selected for the fillingof the receptacle D, the arrangement issuch that the traveling belt orapron will be ore;

like,-'as an eiiveloping coating, whereas the -particles shownv asuncoated represent con-- f stituents of the 'gangue. Y Y The material isfed by the belt, at a sufficarried down into contact with said liquidand-will-p'aeceive a surface co'ating' or, layer thereo s indicated at'nbin Fig, 2. The Keuitably crushed or' otherwise reduced to" asufiiciently'fine state of sub-division,

er-surface of the belt or apron e in the best advantage and 'ina thinlayer.

Thejgeneral modeof operation is indicated Fig 2, which" illustrates thetak-' ing upby the metalliferous values, by surface tension, of the oil,emulsion, or the ciently moderate rate of speed to permit the water toexert its best buoyancy efiect upon the coated unetalliferous particles,Whereupon vthey are buoyed up for the mostpart at the surface of thewater and are floated of: into the launder".

Other coatedvparticle's which may be carried'downward. to a greater orlessdepth by entanglement-with the gangue likewise tend to reach thesurfacefbf the water and- .to join the headsfintheir' overflow from the1 flotation-tank. WVhatI claim is'::--{ v 1. The method of separatingsulfid constituents from toresviniwhich they are con-- tained, whichcomprises feeding the, solid particles of the orein afinely vdividedcon- 1 dition upon a moving layer of an oleaginous liquld having-aselective action for the sul-l fids of a character to effect flotation,pro- -gressively'.'feeding said layer with its charge of ore intoaflotationliquid at the surface thereof,'= andfloating off andrecovering the floating sulfids; substantially as described.

3 2. The method of separating metal-carrying constituentsifrom ores inwhich they are contained, which comprises-"feeding the ore in ai-flnelydivided conditiomupon a traveling apron havlnga surface coating of anCopi bs +1 this -rated in a oleaginous substance having a selectiveaction. for the metal-carrying constituents of a character to effecttheir flotation, and progressively feeding said apron with its charge ofore into an aqueous flotation liquid at the 3.-Apparatus'.for effecting,by flotation, the separation of metal-carrying monstitusurface thereof;'substantially as described. 1

cuts from 'ores' in which they are'contained,

[which comprises a flotation tank, a traveling apron whose. delivery:end discharges'intov sa1d tank at the overflow level thereof, 5

'meansfor supplying to the'surface of the apron a layer of liquid having,a selective action for the metal-carrying constituents ofa-character toeffect their flotation, means 1 for feeding the ore to be separated, ina -finely divided condition upon' the layer of selective liquid, andmeans for effecting the overflow of; the flotation tank and the pro--gressive recovery of the floated constituents;

substantially as described.

4. Apparatus for efle'cting, by flotation,

entsupon ores in which they are contained,

into said tankatthe"overi iow level thereof,

-the separation of metal-carrying constitumeans'forsupplying to thesurface of the apron a layer of liquidhavmga a selective action .forthemetal-carrying constituents of a character to effect their flotation,said means consisting of a receptacle for said dips, meansfor feedingthe ore to besepafinely d vided condition 'upon the layrfbf selectiveliquid, said means consisting of a feeding device for dropping; thefinely divided ore upon the layer of selecselective-liquid into Whichthetraveling-belt Give liquid;- substantially as described. v a Intestimony whereofI afiix my signature in -gresence'of two witnesses.

,LEwIs' G} 'RowAND.

Witnesses IRA S.- HELLER, J. T HAMINGAN;

patent inay be obtained for flve cents each, by addressing thecommissioner 5 9 m Washington, D. G.

